September 5, 2016

I’ve
been a real slob when it comes to my poor little blog.And I’m immensely sorry for neglecting you,
my dear readers, for the better part of three months.Sometimes life and work get in the way and
priorities have to change slightly.That
doesn’t mean that I forgot about you all and I do have a tasty recipe that I
want to post soon.Meanwhile, I really
want to share with you the improved version of a beloved pancake recipe.

Sundays
are for brunch in our family and this whole summer I’ve been tweaking and
perfecting my grandmother’s Apple
Pancakes recipe that I originally posted almost three years ago.And every week it got better.I added mashed bananas to the batter,
replaced the apples with peaches or tossed in a pint of blueberries.I sprinkled a much needed pinch of baking
soda for that extra level of fluffiness. And I even revisited the whole method of
preparing the batter opting to mix the dry ingredients separately from the wet
ingredients and then gradually adding the dry ingredients to the wet ones. Small tweaks, big difference!

I also promise
to have a new recipe for you to celebrate five years of Simply Romanesco soon,
but until then I hope you enjoy these newly revamped pancakes.We’ve been devouring them all summer long!

Blueberry Banana Pancakes

By
Simply Romanesco inspired by my Grandma Vicki

Makes:
about 20 pancakes

Ingredients for the pancakes:

·2 heaped cups (500 ml) whole milk

·2 large eggs, at room temperature

·3 heaped Tablespoons (60 grams) granulated
sugar

·1 teaspoon vanilla

·Scant 2 ¾ cups (370 grams) all-purpose flour

·1/8 teaspoon salt

·1 teaspoon baking powder

·½ teaspoon baking soda

·2 bananas, mashed

·1 pint blueberries or other fruits you like

·Olive oil or vegetable oil for cooking

Ingredients for the cinnamon-sugar mix:

·½ cup (115 grams) granulated sugar

·1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions for the cinnamon-sugar mix:

In a
small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon and whisk well to combine.Set aside.

Instructions for the pancakes:

In a
large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla.

In a
medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.Gradually, add the flour mixture to the milk
and eggs mixture stirring constantly until the flour is fully incorporated, and
you have a slightly thicker batter without any lumps and traces of flour.Add the mashed bananas and then gently fold
in the blueberries.

In a
nonstick skillet, heat about 1 ½ teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat.Fill a 2.5-inch ladle with the pancake and
batter and gently pour it into the pan.Once
the pancakes start cooking, turn the heat to medium-low.Cook pancake for 1-2 minutes per side until
golden-brown.Repeat with the rest of
the batter adding about 1 teaspoon of oil per pancake.

Place
cooked pancakes on a platter and sprinkle each pancake with 1 teaspoon of the
cinnamon-sugar mix.

May 31, 2016

After
unceremoniously bombarding you with some time-consuming, labor-intensive yet
awfully tasty Romaniandesserts, I’ve been delving into the realm of no-cook
morning delights.Yes, now I’m on a
no-cookbreakfast spree.So, next on the
menu is Muesli with Blueberries and
Pistachios.

Muesli
is a big morning thing in Europe.I was
first introduced to it in the summer of 1997 when I spent a month at a tennis
academy in Germany and every day, muesli was my go-to breakfast.Eventually muesli slowly made its way into
Romanian stores and dousing it in milk became my favorite morning treat.That and a toast loaded with Nutella.Can’t forget about that!

So
when I happened upon this Muesli with
Blueberries and Pistachios recipe, my curiosity was peaked and I had to
give it a try.I was not disappointed at
all granted that it was a far cry from what I was used to growing up and there
was no milk in sight.In fact, this
recipe is more elaborate, rich in flavors and bold in personality.To be perfectly honest, the original recipe
calls for pomegranate and almonds, which you should definitely fold in if you
have them on hand, I did not unfortunately; that being said, pomegranate would add
a brightly seasonal touch to this muesli in wintertime, so consider them when
in season.

This
Muesli with Blueberries and Pistachios is
a deliciously smooth contraption that you’ll demolish in mere minutes and will
keep your tummy happy for hours.In a
nutshell, the oats are engulfed in a diluted sea of bright apple juice and
water, allowed to soak and plump overnight while still maintaining that
distinct grainy texture and clear taste ghostly tinged with a deeper
aroma.It might seem soggy at first, but
the overnight preparation elevates it to a fine-looking, respectable
concoction.The mixture is then
thickened with creamy, tart yogurt and drizzled with honey for good measure and
an extra hint of sweetness. The
blueberries add a meaty sort of dimension and fruity consistency, while the
toasted pistachios bring the smoky crunchiness.

This
dreamy dish will whet your appetite at first sight and will be a robust start
to your day.There’s nothing overly fussy
about this bowl of goodness, just a plain old hearty breakfast; a thorough
mélange of flavors and textures while still showcasing that pristine muesli
identity.Enjoy!

Muesli with Blueberries and Pistachios

Adapted
from Bon Appétit (December 2013)

Makes:
4 servings (bowls)

Ingredients:

·2 cups old-fashioned oats

·1 ½ cups apple juice

·½ cup water

·1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·Heaped ¼ cup raisins

·2 cups plain Greek yogurt

·1 cup blueberries (or pomegranate seeds or
any other fresh fruit you prefer)

·½ cup chopped toasted pistachios (or almonds
etc.)

·Honey or agave nectar or maple syrup

Instructions:

Combine
the oats, apple juice, water, vanilla and raisins in a large bowl.Cover and chill overnight.Mix the yogurt into the soaked oats.Divide the mixture among bowls and, dividing
evenly, top with blueberries and pistachios.Drizzle with honey, if desired, and serve.

April 30, 2016

All
winter long I’ve been basking in the wonderful taste and nutritional value of
the striking blood oranges.And even
though spring is well upon us, I’ve been lucky enough to still get my hands on
them at the grocery store.Now, the real
magic happens when you marry blood oranges with yogurt and chia seeds to create
an exceptional and lip-smacking treat that you’ll crave every morning.Yes, we’re talking breakfast and the best
part about this breakfast is that this Blood
OrangeChia Pudding is a no-cook silky pudding that you whip up the night
before.

People
have been going gaga over chia seeds for a long while now and I have been on
the chia bandwagon myself.Truth is, with
all the nutritional benefits of fiber and omega-3s that they pack they are hard
to ignore.Plus, once drowned in the velvety
blood orange juice and yogurt mixture, these chia seeds plump up and turn into
tiny fat bubbles that burst onto your tongue and crack under your teeth. As Giada de Laurentiis noted in her cookbook,
they do remind you of tapioca pearls, which I happen to adore, but even if you’re
not a tapioca fan, this Blood
OrangeChia Pudding will convert you into a chia lover in no time.

Although
it might look like one while sporting a beautiful pale pink hue, this pudding is
more than just a flavored, textured yogurt.It is a smooth, pleasantly thick, creamy, tangy, citrusy and sweet
pudding with a lovely somewhat bubbly texture that provides a substantial and
filling breakfast in a tiny serving.Top
it with bright fruit and toasted pistachios and you’ve created the breakfast of
champions.

In
addition, this Chia Pudding is quite versatile.While I love the blood orange version, Giada offers a recipe that calls
for vanilla-flavored unsweetened almond milk instead of orange juice.So, you can definitely replace the blood orange
juice with almond milk and still end up with a phenomenal and slightly creamier
concoction.Enjoy!

Blood OrangeChia Pudding

Adapted
from Bon Appétit (February 2016)

Makes:
2 servings

Ingredients:

·½ cup Greek yogurt (or plain yogurt)

·½ cup fresh blood orange juice

·2 Tablespoons honey or agave nectar or maple
syrup (whichever you prefer or have on hand)

·1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·Pinch of salt

·¼ cup chia seeds

·Blood orange segments or blueberries or any
other fruit you like

·Chopped pistachios or sliced almonds, toasted

Instructions:

In a
medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, blood orange juice, honey, vanilla and
salt.Whisk in the chia seeds.Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill
for 8 to 24 hours. When you’re ready to
eat the pudding, stir the pudding and divide it between small bowls or glasses.I, however, recommend that you divide the
mixture between small bowls and glasses, cover them with plastic wrap and then chill
for up to 24 hours.That way, come
morning, I only have to grab one of the glasses from the fridge, stir, top the
pudding with fruit and nuts and enjoy.

Before
serving, layer the pudding with some orange segments (or other fruit you
prefer).Top with the chopped pistachios
and remaining orange segments.Drizzle
with more honey if desired and serve.

Note: To top the pudding
with orange segments, cut the peel and white pith from 2 blood oranges.How to do that: cut a slice off the top and
bottom of the orange, making sure you cut just past the pith to expose the
fruit underneath.Stand the orange
upright on a cut end.Following the
curve of the fruit, use a small knife to slice away the peel and pith.Working over a bowl, cut along either side of
membranes to release the segments.

March 31, 2016

I’ve
mentioned this before and I’ll state it again – my family has an uncanny
fascination with buttercream-covered cakes.We favor them over crisp cookies, juicy pies, and somewhat drier cakes.If there is a lick-your-fingers-buttercream-covered
cake, it will always take the coveted first prize.And you already know about my infatuation
with vanilla – yes, I’d always choose it over chocolate; that’s why, when my
grandma asks which dessert to whip up when I’m in Romania, this Vanilla Walnut Cake with Vanilla
Buttercream Frosting is at the top of my list.

This
Vanilla Walnut Cake with Vanilla
Buttercream Frosting is yet another masterpiece that can only be achieved
by nursing and diligently whisking the egg and sugar mixture in a bowl over a
pot of simmering water, which at times can be daunting and irking.However, I’m proud of my merry path to
mastering the art of cooked cream over a double boiler because the nicely
thickened silkiness you create is worth a small fortune and will make you
ignore the free facial and aching bicep muscle!

The
cake is vanilla-infused, soft and pillowy, textured with toasted, fragrant
walnuts and offers the perfect balance to the luxurious, velvety vanilla
speckled frosting, while the glossy chocolate ganache on top brings a
beautiful, rich counterpart to the whole experience.There are lots of flavors and textures woven
into this glorious cake albeit in the end it all comes down to the same humble
yet mighty potent main ingredient and star of the show – you guessed it,
vanilla.And if I haven’t dished enough
about my love for vanilla or this particular cake, let me make it clear: this
is my favorite vanilla cake and I hope you enjoy it just as much as I do!

Vanilla Walnut Cake with Vanilla
Buttercream Frosting

By
Simply Romanesco inspired by my Grandma Vicki

Makes:
24 squares

Ingredients for the Batter:

·6 egg whites, at room temperature

·180 grams sugar

·1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·120 grams all-purpose flour

·1 teaspoon baking powder

·Pinch of salt

·150 grams roasted walnuts, roughly chopped

Ingredients for the Vanilla Buttercream
Frosting:

·6 egg yolks, at room temperature

·210 grams confectioners’ sugar

·Seeds from 1 vanilla bean

·50 ml whole milk

·250 grams butter, at room temperature

Ingredients for the Chocolate Ganache:

·170 grams (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

·2/3 cups heavy cream

·1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions for the Batter:

Preheat
the oven to 375°F.Coat the bottom and
sides of a 14 x10 x 2-inch baking pan with butter and flour.

In a
medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.Set aside.

Separate
the egg yolks (you will use the egg yolks for the buttercream frosting) and egg
whites.

In a
large bowl, beat the egg whites using an electric hand mixer until they hold medium-firm
peaks.Add the sugar and vanilla extract
and beat to incorporate.Gradually, add
the flour mixture.Using a spatula, fold
in the chopped walnuts.

Pour
the batter into the prepared pan making sure the batter spreads all throughout
the pan, and bake for 22-23 minutes or until a tester comes out clean and the
cake is nicely golden-brown.Cool
completely in the pan on a rack.

Instructions for the VanillaButtercream Frosting:

In a
medium heat-proof bowl, beat the eggs yolks with the confectioners’ sugar for
2-3 minutes.Add the seeds from the
vanilla bean and beat to incorporate.Slowly, pour in the milk and beat until fully incorporated.Put the bowl on top of a pan of simmering
water, making sure that the base of the bowl doesn’t come in contact with the water.Gently and leisurely beat the eggs, sugar,
vanilla and milk mixture with a whisk until it thickens and looks like a thick
cream, about 30 minutes.Set aside to
cool completely, stirring occasionally.

In a
large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until
light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.Slowly and in batches, add the vanilla cream and beat on medium-low
speed, scrapping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy.Don’t whip!

With
a knife or offset spatula, evenly spread the frosting over the cake.

Instructions for the Chocolate Ganache:

Place
the chocolate chips in a medium bowl and set aside.Combine the heavy cream and vanilla extract
in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.Cook until small bubbles appear on the outside edge of the cream.Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate
chips.Using a fork or a spoon, gently
stir until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

Drizzle
the chocolate ganache all over the cake.Allow the ganache to harden.Cut
the cake into squares and serve.